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Equair (HN, Quito International) has modified its Operating Licence to add B737-8 and B737-9 types alongside the whole range of B737NG types.

The Ecuadorian civil aviation authority (Dirección General de Aviación Civil - DGAC) consented to the airline's request for the change on March 7. The low-cost carrier is thus currently authorised to operate B737-600s, B737-700s, B737-800s, B737-900s, and the two MAX variants.

Chief Executive Frederik Jacobsen told ch-aviation that the regulatory change was in anticipation of future B737 MAX operations, as foreseen by the airline's five-year fleet plan

Last year, Jacobsen said the airline would eventually transition to B737 MAX to replace its initial fleet of B737-700s. He did not provide any tentative timeline but at the time said it was not a near-term decision.

The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows that Equair currently operates three B737-700s. It plans to add B737-800s going forward, although Jacobsen said there were no updates about that just yet.

Editorial Comment: The article updates with Equair's comments. - 15.03.2023 - 19:17 UTC

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